1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to telecommunications and more specifically, to the use of telecommunications relay services and communication assistants to facilitate communications between hearing parties using ordinary telephones and deaf, hard of hearing, or speech disabled parties using a Text Telephone, such as a Telecommunication Devices for the Deaf.
2. Related Art
Deaf hard of hearing, or speech disabled persons utilize Text Telephones, such as Telecommunication Devices for the Deaf, to communicate over the telephone with hearing parties using ordinary telephones. These deaf, hard of hearing, or speech disabled parties must often utilize a Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) in conjunction with Text Telephones. FIG. 1 illustrates a typical TRS environment 102. A hearing caller 104 places a call using an ordinary telephone 106 to a TRS service 109 via a speaking means 108. The TRS service 109 consists of a Communication Assistant (CA) 110 who relays the call to a text telephone 114, communicating via a typing means 112, so that a text telephone user 116 can communicate with the hearing caller 104. The CA 110 acts as a translator between the hearing caller 104 and the text telephone user 116. The system also works in reverse, where the text telephone user 116, can initiate the telephone call to the hearing customer 104 with the CA 110 performing the same function as described above.
The use and implementation of TRS as well as other text telephony devices are well known in the art. There are well known methods used to provide deaf, hard of hearing, and speech disabled people with better access to the telephone network services available to hearing customers. These methods include TRS, direct person-to-person Text Telephone use, E-mail, and electronic information databases. The present invention focuses on the TRS method.
The TRS environment 102 has its disadvantages because the hearing caller 104, when initiating a telephone call, must remember or make note of two different telephone numbers: (1) the telephone number of the Telecommunication Relay Service (each state currently contracts individually with a carrier to provide the relay service); and (2) the telephone number of the text telephone user 116 so that the CA 110 can connect the call. This is a particular problem in commercial situations where the volume of calls the text telephone user 116 may receive will be impacted. A typical business advertisement for a TRS subscriber is shown below in Table 1:
TABLE 1 ______________________________________ ROBERT'S MARKETING COMPANY 200 Beech Ave. Sand, FL 12345 Phone: Please call 1-800-955-8770 (TRS) first, and give CA this number: 555-1810 FAX: 555-1820 ______________________________________
The problem is that the advertisement needs to contain more information, uses more lines, and consequently, costs the TRS subscriber more money. Furthermore, it may confuse potential customers who are not familiar with TRS or know what a CA is. Some customers may be tempted to call the second number directly resulting in a great deal of aggravation for both parties involved. Therefore, hearing callers, as potential customers to TRS subscribers, may not want to deal with the confusion or inconvenience of dealing with a TRS telephone number.
The net result of the TRS environment 102, in a commercial sense, is loss of business (that is, money) and an overall competitive disadvantage. Thus, there is a need to have deaf hard of hearing, or speech disabled users' telephone service more closely resemble the services routinely used by hearing people and level the playing field. Commercial TRS subscribers require that any difference in their telephone service be as transparent as possible to their potential customers.